Hot Flash
Form and function, unite! These hot new radiators will make you melt.
By Tim McKeough |
It seems radiators are developing quite a steamy reputation. Once boxy and antique, radiators are the latest darling of designers and architects who seek to elevate the old behemoth to a sleek new art form. The Heatwave by Belgian company Jaga (page 10) is just one striking example (from $1,500, jaga.be). Created by up-and-coming Dutch designer Joris Laarman, its leafy, baroque silhouette could easily be mistaken for something you would hang in a gallery. Fitting, then, that Italian company Antrax should call its business “art heating.” With shapely radiators like the Vu by Italian architect and designer Massimo Iosa Ghini (page 10), the company aims to have an object of heating beauty in the eye of every beholder. Featuring gently curving arms that evoke saguaro cacti, this reimagined radiator can stand alone in a small room or be clustered with others in a row to really fire things up (starting at $1,400, www.antrax.it). |
Some new radiators offer similarly contemplative designs but with an irreverent twist. The Honey radiator by Caleido (page 9) brings a quirky statement to the bathroom that, despite the name, isn’t the least bit saccharine. With individual hexagonal tiles layered on top of each other at varying depths, the unit strikes the shape of a playfully off-kilter honeycomb. Designed by Italian James di Marco, the Honey’s subtle variations of color also add a little visual warmth (from $5,967, caleido.bs.it). And just in case you’re not buzzed about bees, di Marco offers other whimsical interpretations, like the Skin, a cluster of overlapping ski–tip shapes, and the River, which mimics cascading rivulets. Breaking up the usually monolithic radiator into three circles that appear as light as air, the Garden by Ridea (right) buttons up the bathroom wall with heat (from $4,121, ridea.it). Ridea’s name stands for Research, Innovation, Design, Experience and Architecture—and you thought radiator design was a low-key affair. The company will customize the shape, dimensions and finish of the radiator to suit your space. Stamped with an Asian-inspired floral pattern that’s more Zen escape than country kitchen, the Garden will have you chanting “Om” in no time. |
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